AUCKLAND, Today: A healthy ocean needs sharks. So Pitchblack and Part Time Rangers, the all-natural environmentally conscious drinks brand have created #Sharkwatch, a campaign which aims to create a conversation about the importance of sharks to our oceans.
Celebrating sharks starts with undoing decades of bad PR they’ve received. From movies like Jaws, to media coverage that plays into the fear they bring, sharks nearly always play the villain.
Pitchblack’s Nick ‘Dorsal-Fin’ Dellabarca said: “Over summer, the Rangers are encouraging people to report their shark sightings by sharing them on social media with #sharkwatch. This info provides important data to shark scientist Riley Elliot about populations, migration and feeding habits.
“Launched on November 11, the 45” & 30” online films flip the script on your favourite terrible-80s beach movies, with outdoor, digital, social and PR contributing to the success of the campaign so far.
“Sightings have been rolling in and the campaign received a launch-day feature on Three’s The Project. It’s also achieved international reach on social media, with renowned shark-loving influencers sharing the #sharkwatch content.”
“Between sips of PTR’s Great White Shark Rum & Apple, she said: ‘Sharks may be scary, but not as scary as Nick in speedos’.
Between sips of PTR’s Great White Shark Rum & Apple, Pitchblack’s Liz ‘The Bull Shark’ Richards said: “The approach was to treat a serious environmental cause in a fun, celebratory way. Sharks may be scary, but not as scary as Nick’s cameo in speedos.”
Riley Elliott is using the data from #sharkwatch as research for his Sustainable Oceans Society. “Shark Watch helps engage the public, by celebrating that when a shark is spotted, it doesn’t represent fear, but rather a reflection of a healthy marine ecosystem,” Elliott said.
Riley Elliott is using the data from #sharkwatch as research for his Sustainable Oceans Society.
PTR’s Oliver Dean said: “Shark Watch is a fun and engaging way to get Kiwis involved in something important. Rebranding the shark is a pretty awesome task, and is certainly a step in the right direction to conserving the species.
“If you alter perceptions, behavioural change will follow.”
Part Time Rangers partnered with Riley Elliott (who’s from the Sustainable Oceans Society), as well as Sustainable Coastlines, and will support their vital work by donating 10% of profits from the sale of their latest release Great White Shark.
Donations will help fund various programmes focused on saving sharks, and cleaning up our oceans.
CREDITS
Creative Agency: Pitchblack Partners
Production Company: Jetblack
Illustration: Tomas Cottle
Sound Design: Liquid Studios
PR: Rebecca Lawson (Pitchblack)
About Part Time Rangers
Part Time Rangers is a New Zealand alcohol company with an environmental twist. The Rangers make ready-to-serve alcoholic drinks that use natural ingredients and are low in sugar. But most importantly, the Rangers donate 10% of profits to wildlife conservation, with each of their drinks represents a different cause – White and Pink Rhino with Rhinos Without Borders, African Elephant with Big Life Foundation, and Great White Shark with the Sustainable Oceans Society.
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